Scott Pilgrim holds a special place in my heart as a series about an asshole who takes much too long to figure out that he’s an asshole. The game itself, which came out as a tie-in with the movie release about ten years ago, had everything you’d want if you were a faux hipster gamer who was into beat-em-ups. No other game was playing around with the genre as well as this one at the time. I fondly remember playing this game at my friend’s house during high school, and was just completely enamored with the aesthetic of it all. I remember my friends pointing out how I was acting differently—not reserved and more colorful. I was too shy to admit I was hugely into video games, but then we all grew up and realized video games are for everyone I guess. And now that it’s finally back with a re-release, I’m absolutely going to take the time to gush about it.
The Art!
If there’s anything I’m a sucker for, it’s 2D animation and pixel art. Lead artist of the game Paul Robertson stayed faithful to Brian Lee O’Malley’s art style while incorporating his own massively expressive animations. Whoever decided to hire him for this game, it was absolutely a match made in heaven. I can’t thank them enough for it! The various references to the comic series solidifies the game in my mind as a love letter to Scott Pilgrim as a whole. Cute, cartoony, and a little edgy, I don’t think I could ever get sick of looking at this game. It’s pixels done right to the highest degree. It’s just fun, bright, feel-good visuals and nothing else. I don’t know how else I could put it. The charm of this game’s sprites and set pieces lifts my spirits.
The Music!
This game? Bangers across the board. Composed by chiptune band Anamanaguchi, the entire soundtrack is high-octane, positive vibes-only tracks that you can jam out to while beating up hordes of assholes and ex-boyfriends. Combining party rock with beeps and boops, Anamanaguchi completes the entire brand that is the Scott Pilgrim series. My favorite track, “Another Winter” remains something I listen to whenever I need to get motivated to work.
The Action!
The gameplay itself is nothing to sneeze on. Beat-em-ups tend to be high difficulty, and were originally designed to be quarter munchers. Scott Pilgrim doesn’t stray away from that formula, but that’s for the best—the game is meant to be played with other people in the room. Think of this more as a party game than anything, and oh what a party game it is. With some RPG elements and endless shenanigans to play around with others between the main game and various extra modes, there’s a lot packed in here despite how short the game itself is. And while the game does have online multiplayer, it’s rather rough at this point. I’m hoping it’ll improve over time, but again—the best experience for this game is playing with friends on a couch together.
While not necessarily something to be played with a full commitment like an RPG or adventure game, Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game is something to have in your collection. For me personally, it’s just too good to pass up. It’s a cult classic that can kill a few hours with friends, and is definitely meant to be played casually. Of course there are deeper mechanics to the game itself and oodles of secrets to discover as you play, but the fun of it all remains in its multiplayer. For a game that was simply meant to be a tie-in to the movie—which often follow the pattern of being laughably bad—this one breaks the mold. Ubisoft struck gold here, and thanks to Brian Lee O’Malley’s urging for them to re-release it a few months back, we can finally experience it again.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game: Complete Edition, is now available on the Ubisoft Store, the Epic Games Store, Stadia, Amazon Luna, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. If you’re into beat-em-ups with a feel-good art style and music, I suggest trying this game out at least once. There’s no need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy this game. In fact, the game could get you interested. And the movie and comics are great on their own as well!
Gushing done…for now.
The Dang Void 